The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-12-22
VISITING THE OLD HOME.

evening to a portly, finely dressed
man in the corridor OF the ST. James.
The gentleman stopped, hook hands
with his friend, aud replied, "Ive
been home To see my old father and
mother, the ilrst time in sixteen years
aud tell you, old man. wouldn't
have missed that visit for all my for
tune"
"kinder good to visit your boyhood
home, ell p
You bet. Sit down. | was just
thinking about the old folks, and feel
tnlkotive. IL you have few mons
ents to spare, sit Gown, light cigar,
and listen to IA story of II rich man
who had almost forgotten his father
and mother"
They sat down aud the man told
his story.
How came to visit my home hap.
pencd ia II curious way. Six weeks
ago | went down to Erie Island fish
ing. ] had n lunch put up at Crook
" Nash's aud you can imagine my AS
tonishment when ] opened the ham
per to find IA package OF crackers
wrapped up in piece Of newspaper.
That newspaper was tho little patent
inside county weekly pabllshe at my
home III Wisconsin. | read every
word of it., advertisements and all.
There was George Kellogg, who was
II school-nate Of mine, advertising
ham and salt pork, and another boy
was postmaster. BY George, il made
houles.ck, and determined then aud
there to 20 home, and go home | did.
"ln the first place | must tell you
how ! came to New York. | had Il
tin with my father and left home.
finally turned up in New York with
81 in my pocket. got a job running
II freight elevator in the very hous,
in which | am now u partner. NY
haste to get rich drove the thoughts
OF my parents from me, and when |
did think Of theinthe hard words tha,
my father last spoke to ine ranked
in my bosom, Well, | went home
! didn't soc much change In Chicago
but tho magnificent new depot in
milwaukee | thought was an i'm
provement OH the old shed that they
used to have. 1t was only thirt,
miles from Milwaukee to my home
aud tell you. Joha. thabtrain see III
ed to ers1p,' >w;.s actually worse
than school boy gong home fol
vacation. At last we neared Tia,
town. Familiar sights met my oyes,
and, darn IL all, they filed with tears
There was Bill Lyman's red barn Just
the same but, great Scott, what
were all the other houses ? We rode
nearly II mile before coming to the
depot, though houses where only oc,
casionally j saw one that was fami
lar. The town had grown TO ten
times its size when knew it. The
train stopped and jumped of. Not
u face in sight that knew, aud |
started down the paltform to go
homo. In the Office door stood the
station agent. walked up and said;
"Howdy, Mr.. Collins ?"
lie stared at me and replied,
You've got the best Of me, SIR
II told him who | was and what |
had been doing in New York, aud he
didn't make any bones in talking q
me. Said he Its about time you
came home. You in New York rich.
aud your father scratching gravel to
get hare living
Il tell you, John, it knocked me
all in heap. thought my father
had enough to live upon comfortably.
Then notion struck me. Before 20.
ing home | telegraphed to Chicago
to one of our correspondents there to
send me $1,000 by the first mail,
Then | went into Mr.. Collins back
Office, got my trunk in there and put
on an old hand-me-down suit that
used for hunting aud fishing. Ny
plug hat ! replaced by n soft hat,
took my valise in my hand and went
home. Somehow the place didn't
look right. The currant bushes had
been dug up from the front yard and
the fence was gone. All the old lo~
Gust trees had been cut down and
young NAPLES were planted. The
house looked smaller somehow, too.
But went up to the trout door and
rang the bell. Mother came to the
door and said I'VE don't wish to
buy anything to day, sir"
ut didn't take me minute to sur
vey her from head to foot. Neatly
dressed, John, but IA patch aud a
iarn here and there. her hair streak
I'd with gray, her face thin, drawn
md wrinkled. Yet over her eye
glasses shone those good. honest, be-
ievolent eyes. / stood staring at
ier, and then she began to stare at
he. | saw the blood rush to her
ace, and with great sob she threw
herself upon e,and nervously clasp
ID me abont the neck, hysterically
'rying; Its Jimmy, it's Jimmy"
"rhen l cried, too, John. / just
)roks down and cried like baby. |
She got me into the house, hugging
md kissing me, and then she went to
he back door aud shouted (: |